Matt Slusher with the Placer Hills Firefighters Political Action Committee in Auburn says his district has come up $100,000 short every year for the past four years.
SLUSHER: "Everybody's dealing with the same thing. Decreased home values have decreased the taxation on re-assessed homes, and so budgets have gone down "
Placer Hills asked for a $79-per-year assessment. A majority of voters said yes, but the measure failed to get two-thirds of the vote.
The North Auburn-Ophir Fire district also asked for an increase -with a sliding scale based on the type of home. The measure was soundly defeated.
Meanwhile, in Davis, residents were asked to continue a tax for park maintenance. It passed with more than 80 percent of the vote.
All tax measures in California must have a two-thirds majority to pass because of Proposition 13. Voters approved the law during the recession of the late 70's to protect homeowners from repeated property tax increases.
